Retrofit insulation in Murrieta, CA - an attic topped up over a sound base
Upstairs rooms stay hot and the power bill keeps climbing. We check what's already in your attic, fix what's wrong, then add what's missing.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- We reply within 1 business day.
Do I need new insulation, or just more of it?
Retrofit insulation in Murrieta, CA, adds blown-in insulation, which is loose fill blown through a hose, over the insulation already on your attic floor or into the empty wall cavities of a house that's already built, so the rooms below hold their temperature.
Most calls I get start with an upstairs bedroom that won't cool down or a power bill that doesn't make sense for the size of the house. Usually there's some insulation up there already, it's just thin, settled or in rough shape. The price turns on how much is already there, whether any of it has to come out first through insulation removal, how many gaps need sealing and how easy the attic is to move around in. The schedule turns on the same things, plus anything that has to be fixed before new material goes in, like old wiring. Your written estimate lays out what I found and what I'd do about it.
How can you tell your attic needs more insulation?
Upstairs stays hot all day
When the bedrooms upstairs or the room over the garage stay warmer than the rest of the house well into the evening, the attic above them is usually short on insulation or leaking air. Until that's fixed, the AC works overtime every summer, and you see it on the power bill.
Joist tops showing through
If you look in from the hatch and can see the tops of the ceiling joists, the insulation has settled or was thin from the start. Every season it stays that way, the ceiling keeps letting through heat that a top-up would hold back.
Dirty, damp or matted insulation
Dark streaks, packed-down patches or droppings usually mean air is pushing through gaps, water got in, or something has been living up there. That layer has to be dealt with before anything goes on top, and the longer it sits, the more of it may have to come out.
How we handle retrofit insulation
I start by going up and figuring out what's already there, because your old insulation counts toward the total, so I need to know what it is, how deep it is and what shape it's in before we top it off. If it's wet, packed down or full of droppings, that gets handled first, since new material over a bad layer just buries the problem. Then we air seal, closing the gaps around can lights, pipes, wires and the attic hatch so the new insulation isn't fighting a draft. We set baffles at the eaves so the vents stay open and the attic keeps breathing, and then we blow in loose fill at an even depth all the way out to the edges, which is where most attics come up short.
Some houses call for a different plan. When the ductwork lives up in the attic, spray foam insulation costs more but seals the air while it insulates, so it can earn its price there, and in most other attics sealing the gaps and topping up loose fill is the better use of your money. If what's up there is too far gone to keep, we'll plan it as a full attic insulation job instead of a top-up.
Top-up over sound insulation
This suits most attics where the old layer is dry and clean but thin, because it counts toward the total and you only pay to add what's missing. We seal the gaps first, then blow loose fill evenly over the top.
Spray foam where ducts run overhead
This suits houses with ductwork in the attic, because foam seals around the ducts while it insulates. It costs more than loose fill, so I only suggest it when the ducts make it worth it.
Get a written plan for your attic, starting with what's already there
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time for a free on-site estimate. I come out and look myself, and the written estimate comes with no obligation.
(951) 319-3238Retrofit insulation permits and inspections in Murrieta
In Murrieta, the city's Building and Safety Division handles plan review and inspections, and its list for home alteration work includes an insulation inspection that comes after the framing and rough electrical, plumbing and mechanical inspections. Whether a straight attic top-up on your house needs a permit isn't something I'll guess at, so we check with the city before we start, and when one's needed we take care of the application and line up the inspections. If you'd like to ask yourself, the division takes general questions at 951-461-6062. Either way, the state's attic rule still applies, and when a contractor adds insulation to an existing attic, the state has them certify to you in writing that it meets those rules, so you should get that statement from us when we finish.
Around here we mostly find blown-in insulation that has settled over the years and ductwork running through hot attics, so we pay close attention to sealing around the ducts and keeping the eave vents clear. We see the same kinds of attics on jobs in Temecula and Menifee.
What happens after you call us about retrofit insulation?
Call or send us a note
Reach us by phone or the form and we'll set up a time to come look at the place. It helps to tell us where the attic hatch is.
I go up and look
I come out myself, go up in the attic or down in the crawl space, and walk you through what I found. You get a written estimate that covers what has to be fixed first and what I'd suggest, so you can weigh it before you decide anything.
We fix first, then insulate
If you go ahead, I'm on the job with our crew, and we handle the fix-first items before any new insulation goes in. That way nothing that needed fixing gets buried.
Check the work together
We check the work against the plan before we pack up. You see the finished attic before we leave, so you know what we did and why.
Frequently asked questions
Can you add new insulation on top of the old insulation in my Murrieta attic?
Yes, and in California the insulation already in your attic counts toward the total. The state's energy rules for existing low-rise homes require old plus new to reach the code level, so the job tops up what's there to the required amount rather than starting from scratch.
How do I know if my attic is safe to insulate?
National attic guidance says three things have to be checked first. Active knob and tube wiring should be replaced or properly boxed before insulation goes in, work stops if the old insulation is vermiculite because it may contain asbestos, and homes with a gas furnace or water heater that vents by natural draft should get a combustion safety test for fumes spilling back into the house. If I find any of these, I'll tell you the job isn't ready yet and what has to happen first.
Who is licensed to install insulation in California?
In California, the C-2 Insulation and Acoustical Contractor license covers contractors who install any kind of insulation for temperature or sound control. It's worth asking any contractor you're comparing which license they hold before they quote your attic.
How much can a contractor ask for up front in California?
A contractor can ask for no more than $1,000 or 10 percent of the total contract price as a down payment, whichever is less, on any home improvement job. Every other payment has to be listed in the contract and tied to work done or materials delivered to your house, so ask how each one lines up with finished work. You can check the rules with the state contractors board.
How much does retrofit insulation cost in Murrieta?
It depends mostly on what's already in your attic, and I can't give you a fair number until I've been up there. The size of the attic and how easy it is to get around in, how much sealing it needs, whether any old material has to come out, whether walls are part of the job and whether wiring or a gas appliance has to be fixed first all move the price. The on-site estimate gives you your own figure in writing.
How do I insulate the walls of a house that's already built?
The usual way is drill and fill, where installers make small holes near the top of each wall cavity, from inside or outside, and blow insulation in until the cavity is full. It's a common and fairly uninvasive way to do the walls of an existing home, and the holes get patched afterward.
Murrieta, CA
Let's see what's in your attic
If you know where the attic hatch is or anything about old wiring or the insulation up there, mention it when you call (951) 319-3238 so I come out ready for your house.